Looking for Opinions

As I've mentioned many times before, I'm really trying hard to work on existing projects, but the time has come to start a new top.  Not because I'm itching to move on to something new, but because my gal pal and I are taking a class to learn how to use Companion Rulers and Tri Rec rulers.  Here is the pattern we are going to be making. Traditionally it is made with 2 blues and white. But since I'm not traditional, and I'm currently working on a blue quilt, I'm trying to decide between two options.

This first one is bright and completely off track from the original design, but I thought the black, pink, and white would be great for the all over and then throw in the bright green and fuchsia in the two focus blocks for some punch.

Here is my second choice, green as the dark background, scrappy reds for the light and then the tan/creams for the light blocks. This might be nice for the holidays?

Either way, I have the fabric on my shelf for both color ways. This makes starting a new project ok in my books, at least I've not gone out shopping for the fabric. There will be left over pieces from this that can end up in a 54-40 top, so I'll end up with two tops in the same color way.
So let me know, which colorway would you like to see make up in this pattern?

Even though I've been on a fabric diet, I just can't kick the book addiction. Here are two new ones for my collection.....and there are a few more still in the mail.I love the books with the vintage quilts. I have so much respect for the art quilter and the pattern designers of our time, but really, the quilts in these books just make my heart sing!

And with this book, you can figure out any block pattern your heart desires. This is a must have for all quilters. The vast amount of block patterns are amazing.

Sew let me know what you think? In the pink or in the red?
Sharon

Backyard Braggin'

This is my first summer in my new house and I've struggled to find people to work in my yard. No, I don't need my lawn mowed every 2 weeks for $40.  If I was going to spend $40 every two weeks on upkeep, someone would be scrubbing my toilets while I was out walking around in the grass and sunshine! After contacting 5 companies, and getting no return phone calls, I finally went out to the shop at work and recruited two young, strong men who were thrilled to work for extra money.

I printed off the instructions from Pioneer Woman's blog on how to build raised garden beds. I gave the instructions to the guys a week in advance. First mistake was thinking they would read instructions. I forgot about men and instructions. The instructions were excellent, and with PW writing them, there was lots of photos.  The guys arrived at 8:02 a.m, Wow, on time on a Sunday morning! I had all the wood pre cut, all the tools ready to go and after helping hanging around, I thought I best get back inside and quilt.  No sooner had I got into the rhythm of quilting when one of them came by for me to see the finished boxes.  I walked out, took one look and burst out laughing.  Then I said "so I guess you didn't read the instructions, and now that you have left over materials you are wondering what is going on?"  Yes, they admitted they didn't read the instructions, so my garden boxes were one board high instead of two boards high.  At least they brought the papers with them, so after looking at the pictures, they assured me they could fix this. And right they were.

Someone didn't do the correct math, (me) while at the Home Depot so I was short one board. I wanted 2 large beds 4 x 8, and one small. 4x4; so this is what I've ended up with.

The job still needs a bit more time invested into it. The compost bin is being torn out and I'm using all that for the beds but will still need to bring in a bit more dirt. Plus I need the gravel to go around all the beds. It looks so much better, it's cleaner and going to be easier to maintain. I've reduced the garden by at least 1/2 and that's a good thing. However, I'll be growing $10 carrots by the time I pay for this whole endeavor! ;-)
And while this was going on outside, I was inside doing this.

Don't you just love this quilt!

Alas, it's not mine, but I did get the pleasure of working on it for a few days, it sure cheered up my studio!

Muriel, it's back to you next weekend.
Sharon

Seeing Some Progress

I somehow missed this photo last week and I wanted to post it. Muriel did such a beautiful job on this quilt and since she hasn't got her blog up and running yet, I get to show off her work over here.

Here is a flimsy finish. This was the G.O.T. (Gathered over Time) swap I participated in and I got all the setting triangles cut and sewn and the top is now together. I'm currently marking it as I'm going to hand quilt this with a traditional Baptist Fan pattern.

What a great selection of fabrics, there are no repeats in the 9 patch or the setting squares. Swaps are excellent for this.

Since that is now off my design wall, I pulled this WIP out and have got to work on it. I have all, almost all  the blocks pieced.  This quilt is for my nephew.  He wanted blue and silver.  Since there isn't much out there for grey/silver fabrics, I went with the scrappy creams. Plus I wanted all the bonus 1/2 sq triangle to use in a future project.  So far I have a bag of brown/cream and now a stack of blue/cream.  The next one is red/cream and I have a pile of greens just waiting to get cut into strips for one last top of this pattern.  It's from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville, check it out!  I love her site.

One of my local quilt shops was donating a percentage of their Sat sales to Relay for Life, so I had to make a trip over there.  A quilter can always use a yard or two of green batik, right?  And I finally bought myself a Hera marker.  For some crazy reason, I pulled out this WIP this week and started hand quilting it.  It's not like I don't have a sampler on the go and the above mentioned second hand project I want to start.....geez

I'm sewing Sunday, whoohoo
Sharon

Relay for Life Season

It's that time of year again, when people all over the place are gearing up for their local Relay for Life.  Last year I was invited to an event close to home, but I was still in recouperation mode from my cancer surgery. I was roaming around blog land yesterday, and came across this raffle quilt.

Wouldn't you love to win this quilt? Well, if you check out Lisa's blog by clicking here and put your $2 on the table, you can have your name entered to win. After doing this, wander around Lisa's blog, Bear Hug Quilt Works and see her award winning quilts.
Imagine winning a quilt done by this quilter with the proceeds going to such a great cause. I don't know anyone who hasn't been touched by cancer. Show your support, it's only $2!
Feel free to blog about this quilt, it can only help get the word out!
Sharon

Quilt Show Winners

I spent the day Saturday with my gal pal Muriel. We met up at the Tradex center in Abbotsford for the Sewing and Quilting Expo. There was a lot to see and plenty of fabric and notions and gadgets to purchase. We both stayed strong and left the show with NO bags in our hands, and no, we didn't get purchases shipped home. ;-)
Here are photos of the winning quilts. I wish I could tell you the catagories, but it was a bit confusing, everyone was looking at the ribbons, and then trying to figure out which ones went in which catagories.
All pictures are clickable for closer viewing.

This one was chosen Best of Show

Machine pieced, appliqued, quilted with some hand quilting added around applique.

This is my quilt that is being donated.

My favorite, the quilting was well thought out and varied throughout the quilt.

Love the graphic nature of blk/wht/red.

Great use of color and batiks.

I stuck to my plan of continuing on existing projects, hence the lack of purchases.  There was plenty to get inspired by and I did go home and have a great evening of sewing.

Sharon

Addicted to Applique

Since the taxes won out, I managed to take several boxes, bags and folders of paperwork and reduce it down to this. These three years are now boxed up and stored away, hopefully to never see the light of day again!

The 2nd Tues of the month is our guild meeting, Moonlighters, in Bellingham, WA and our speaker this month was from The Applique Society. This group is based out of WA and has chapters all over the world. Check here for a chapter near you.

Some beautiful work was shown from different members.

All types of applique are encouraged, and Loretta Bilow touched on a process that I'd never seen before, appliquing from the back of the project.

After hearing this presentation and seeing that a group meets on a weekend in my area, I just may have to join in the fun!

My quilting goals for 2010 are finishing projects that I've already invested in. This was a Mystery project from Piecables in 2009. I was feeling pretty smug about only having to purchase 4 yards of fabric for this complete project, backing/border/binding included. Then I finished the quilt and was disappointed with the finished project. There just wasn't much interest going on.

After quilting it this weekend, yes, I snuck in one of my quilts between customer tops, I LOVE how it turned out. I used a large, (14") Anne Bright panto and burgundy thread. This is going on my bed as soon as I get the binding on.

It's sew good to be sewing instead of taxing!
Sharon

What to do??

Quilt or do my taxes.
Blog or do my taxes,
Mow the lawn or do my taxes,
Applique or do my taxes.
OK, you know the taxes won.  At least the dog got walked so I had to get out of my pj's on Sunday to do that.  Not bad for 4:30 pm.  I started at 9:00 a.m. with my coffee and Bailey's and  finally went to bed at 9:30p.m.without my taxes finished. 
But today is April 14th and Tim the taxman has all my paperwork, whoohoo.
I just need to sign the returns, yes, you read that correct, plural, but I"m all caught up with the exception of writing the check to the accounting office.  There will be no check writing to Uncle Sam, I hope!
So tonight is a sewing night
Sharon